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Sony "Next Generation Portable" (NGP) (Codename)


Crowbar Man
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The thing is, if I'm ever out and about I am probably too busy doing the things that have me out and about to care about my phone. I don't spend a lot of time just sitting around outside - if I am ever in a state where I desire access to a computer, I'm probably sitting at my computer.

I don't know how often everyone else actually uses the internet on their mobile devices, but I doubt it is enough to justify how expensive the NGP's touchscreen is to develop.

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The thing is, if I'm ever out and about I am probably too busy doing the things that have me out and about to care about my phone. I don't spend a lot of time just sitting around outside - if I am ever in a state where I desire access to a computer, I'm probably sitting at my computer.

I don't know how often everyone else actually uses the internet on their mobile devices, but I doubt it is enough to justify how expensive the NGP's touchscreen is to develop.

I wasn't saying that I sit around outside doing the same things I could be doing at home. I'm just saying that a decent web browser is useful to have when looking things up. I used my phone to keep abreast of flight arrival info when picking my my sister from the airport this week; I also use it check my comic book pull-list when I go to the comic shop so I get everything I want without missing certain issues; if I'm out at a store browsing movies/games and see something that looks like a pretty good deal, I like to check prices and reviews. Plenty of other people use their phone's internet for other things besides that.

It's probably not important to you (and to be honest, I don't use my phone's internet as much as other people do), but different strokes for different folks, right?

In any case, a good, accurate capacitive touch screen is really what you want for those kinds of multi-touch web-browsers.

Also the touch screen isn't really just for web-browsers to begin with; it's for touch control for games, so having a really good quality touch screen is probably a good idea. It's not wrong for them to want to have top-of-the-line hardware. People would be mad if they skimped on the quality of the mechanical controls (buttons, sticks), so why would they skimp on the touch controls too?

Does that justify the cost? Can't really say yet. The only thing that ever justifies the cost for that kind of thing is the user experience, and since this thing isn't out yet and nobody's really messed around with the software, it's kind of moot to be discussing the justification for higher-end hardware.

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I don't see the touch screen working well for games. A lot of people don't realize how wonderfully the design of the two screens worked for the DS and onwards - with the stylus and such, it was never a problem.

I can't see any way of holding an NGP and trying to use the touch screen dexterously for gaming without tearing your hands apart or dropping the thing.

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On a DS, you have one hand that is both holding the system and also using the d-pad or other buttons. This isn't the case on an iPad/iPhone: you only use that hand to hold it. You aren't trying to use anything other controls at the same time.

With the iPhone, it might not be so bad, but on something as big as an iPad, it is.

Of course, some people just put them on tables, or on their laps. Problem solved.

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The way i see it, it will work well just like it works well on the DS:

Games that exclusively use the touch work fine

Games that exclusively use the regular digital controls work fine

Games that try to mix and match are generally terrible. The stuff they are showing off with Uncharted? I am assuming/hoping its just tech demo BS. Or optional. Because just like mixing on the DS, it doesn't work well at all. If its not just for show, they will learn quickly just like devs did with the DS.

Though, I can't see the back touch panel being used anything but for novelty in a few niche titles. Its really useless IMO but I guess we shall see.

As far as the browser, I would hope since this thing seems to be built on Android tech that it would be using the same great browser.

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At first I thought the back facing touch panel was retarded too, but it does help keep the fingers off the screen. You'll be able to see all the action. Since you can't see your fingers, it would probably be used for relative movement than the 1-to-1 movement of the touch screens.

Now the tilt functions I still don't give a crap about.

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On a side note, the "Playstation Phone", AKA the Sony Ericcson Xperia Play will be officially unveiled on February 13.

This is probably more exciting to me than the NGP, assuming that it will be compatible with Playstation Suite(the most important "NGP" feature to me personally) and can also run PSP games. If the latter is true, then it'll probably be a haven for developers who are quite fearful of the insane budgets they may require to develop on the NGP. It'll also be easier to justify as a purchase by virtue of being an android-enabled phone.

I can imagine that it'll also be cheaper to buy. The biggest thing of course would be whether the phone will be purchasable unlocked or if it will be tied to a certain carrier plan, which I'm guessing will more than likely be ATT. If the latter were the case, then I'm bum fucked.

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The PlayStation Suite will indeed be available to approved Android devices, as mentioned in my post, and I would think it strange for the Xperia Play aka "PlayStation Phone" not to be on that approved list.

Right now, the only thing they've shown off on PlayStation Suite is the PS1 game support (dont look at Engadget's preview of PS1 games playing on PSX4Droid. That program is not a Sony product, and hopefully the real thing performs better than that).

It was rumored PSP games would be ported to PlayStation Suite but Sony has retreated any statements saying it will. I imagine, besides PS1 games, we'll be getting a lot of touch screen only casual games through PlayStation Suite.

Considering most higher end phones cost $400-600 off contract, I do not see the Xperia being cheaper than the NGP unless you are suggesting the NGP is going to be $400+

The Xperia Play isn't very exciting to me, its a single core 1Ghz Snapdragon (2nd gen though, not the crappy 1st gen). We have phones out right now that are dual core, and some scheduled to be out by end of the year that will be quads. If you dont have a Android device already, I'd suggest the Atrix or the Biotic over the Xperia Play if your looking for a nice Android device. If they make the Approved devices list, which I dont see why not

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